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Sharing my experience - recurring shingles

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Guest
Guest

I'm a 35 year old female and have had recurring shingles for about 7 years which occurs anything from 3-7 times a year and occasionally back to back. It is always a small cluster of itchy/stinging spots at the base of my spine and thankfully, the only other symptom can be overly sensitive skin down the back of my thighs. It is the only 'illness' that I ever suffer from - I never get colds or other 'bugs' that seem to plague everyone around me. So, the main guidelines about shingles are very general and should not discount anyone who suffers from this if they fall outside the norm for the condition i.e. over 50, poor immune system, you only get it once, spots appear on the sides, chest or face etc. as I don't fit any of these but have had tests and confirmation.

My advice to anyone else who suffers from this is - do try to get antiviral medication like aciclovir as it will minimise the frequency of outbreaks, try the coldsore patches from the chemist (Compeed is the brand I use) - they can be costly but keep the area clean and covered to prevent spreading and definitely seem to clear it up more quickly and with less scarring and, finally, try not to touch the area at all outside of treating it. I have become good at recognising the early sysmptoms and the earlier I act on it, the less troublesome it is. I have also made a connection with using sunbeds as a couple of outbreaks have occurred shortly after using one so minimise UV exposure of the area (not usually a problem when it's on your bottom!). Hope this helps.

35 likes, 501 replies

501 Replies

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  • Neat
    Neat Guest

    Posted

    try acupuncture..  send it into remission..  maybe not permanently but it's effective and it minimizes it greatly..

    good luck

  • jay31011
    jay31011 Guest

    Posted

    I've had shingles 6/7 times in the last 10 years. 1st time I was 35 and had what I would describe as sore skin on the right of my lower back, then a small itchy couple of spots appeared, my boyfriend took a look and said he thought they were shingle, within a day they formed a ring and became more blister like, at this point I went to the doctors, they confirmed shingles, but explained it was to late to treat, so went away and once the blisters became dry, the discomfort pain and skin creeping went.

    too. They Said to come before the blisters arrive! Approx 2 years later the skin became sore and opal full, so I went as requested, prior to the rash, only to be told that I was not going o be given any medication as they could not confirm it was shingles! So again I suffered through! 3 time I went as the rash arrived! And was given aiclovir tablets, these did help it clear quicker, but the following time i felt really unwell and it was around my genital area and could not face being poked and prodded, and told no to any medication, so suffer I did! I'm non on Aiclovir again, this time it is on my annul passage, extreamly painful, now I want the vaccination, at any cost! Well almost, does any one know how much I should pay, in England, also if and what are the side effects, 46 years old

  • kriirk
    kriirk Guest

    Posted

    Too few remedies! Too many 'stories'! Please post more useful things!

    Vinegar!

    My armpit-shingles (recurring since 2005, I'm now 41) go away (and stay away) in only 1 week, after soaking them in vinegar until blisters become white. (a minute or so) Applying J&J daiper cream (zincoxide and talc) afterwards seems to speed up the healing of the skin.

    Lately, outbreaks came on eye lids. (ouch) I tried home made ayuridic garlic antiviral eye drops (crush a clove into a cup of boilng water, let cool then drip.) Unsure if it worked or if outbreak was already in recess. (Burns less than I feared!)

    The things that seem to contribute to giving me outbreaks:

    -Exercise

    -Dieting

    -Alcohol

    -Tanning (maybe)

    Especially trying to eat less while also exercising regularly, seems to be a big problem. And alcohol seeems to prolong the outbreaks if I dont stop.

    Read yesterday that "Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, a health-promoting fatty acid with anti-microbial properties that has been proving its mettle in trials with AIDS patients and others suffering from compromised immune systems." so Im going to eat some of that.

    I will google for more immune booster life hacks today. Its obvious to me that shingles are sympthoms of reduced immune function.

    Now, could the rest of you please help me figure this out, rather than sharing detailed stories? Please help me research antiviral foods, immun boosting foods, immune boosting supplements, immune boosting lifestyle changes etc etc..

    • ukulele_girl
      ukulele_girl kriirk

      Posted

      Definitely tanning! As Sue said try Lysine. Triggers for me are Caffine, chocolate and nuts. Good luck.
    • ukulele_girl
      ukulele_girl kriirk

      Posted

      Here is what I found out about foods, for me it seems to be working.

      Good Foods!                                         Bad Foods.   

      Halibut                                                     Chocolate

      Cheese                                                    Coffee

      Fresh veg                                                Tea

      Liqurice root                                            Almonds

      Beef                                                         nuts & Seeds

      Pork                                                        Granola

      Ribeye steak                                            Peanut butter

      Red grapes                                             Malted milk

      Apples                                                     Alchol

      Pears                                                       liver

      celery                                                       Whole wheat

      White tea                                                  tomatoes

      Green tea                                                 sprouts

      iceberg lettuce                                          sugars

      Turnips

      brocoli

      Avocado's

      Spinach

      Kale

      Watercress.

      Hope this helps.

       

    • kriirk
      kriirk ukulele_girl

      Posted

      Thanks UkuleleGirl! Interesting that you mention Liver! I ate lots of liver prior to this outbreak! In fact, same happened around this time last year!

      Hmm.. doesnt really make sense, unless the vitA in liver binds with vitD to reduce immunefunction?

      I drink much coffee and cocoa. Especially when dieting. But this alone seems to be fine (when not combining with exercise).

      I dont tolerate vegetables, but I can vouch for cheese being a 'good food'!

      Has anyone here tried a 'garlic cure'? (consuming raw garlic or drinking tea made from garlic?)

    • littlelemon
      littlelemon ukulele_girl

      Posted

      I'm a 41 female, recurring, (as in too many to count) outbreaks for 20 years. Always in the small of my back. Cutting out gluten made a HUGE difference. Sometimes I go a year or so without any, sometime, like this month, two in two weeks. sad

      Here's what I've noticed about MY body...When I feel them coming on I cut way back or cut out altogether coffee, chocolate and nuts.

      If they come back, usually because I'm not paying attention or under extreme stress, Blue Star Ointment is a fantastic anti-itch. I load up on Lemon Balm herb tincture and tea throughout the day (it's an herb that grows crazy fast in the garden), garlic pill once a day and homemade kombucha. Pain and itch are gone within hours or a couple days.

      Back when I ate gluten...garlic pill, lemon balm herb and probiotics kept it down, almost to a tolerable level. Just depends what you are willing to do.

      Anti-virals tend to drag out the problem for me. Lysine never did a thing either. I prefer the natural/lower cost route anyway. Hope this is at least a tiny bit helpful. Just gotta listen to your body. smile Good luck!

    • Surferrobin1
      Surferrobin1 kriirk

      Posted

      not sure if u saw my post about coriolis mushroom, sublingual b 12 along with the commonly known lysine and low arginine diet...i also got a cheaper mushroom complex and that works too... if i forget to take them and it recurs, i just start popping them all and it goes away immediately...also the recurrences are much less even though i forget to take!!
    • Amy_in_agony
      Amy_in_agony kriirk

      Posted

      Kriirk- I can sympathize with your frustration of hearing only stories but not taking away any solutions... for me, all the stories helped me understand tremendously how much more common what I was experiencing even more. I really thought I was going crazy- so for me I appreciate the stories and I tend to see things in the stories that validate something I wasn't too sure was a common denominator.

      I haven't really had any luck with putting anything on my blisters except calamine lotion containing an anti-itch ingredient. I have always just treated them internally in the form of meds. I take the Acyclovir 800mg 5 times daily and I can feel them settle down just shortly after a dose then flair up after a while and that's about time for another dose. I think the med helps the flare-up calm down sooner and keep from spreading. But for me, avoiding the triggers are the very best way to combat the recurring outbreaks. Foods high in Arginine are always triggers- especially coconut and any types of nuts. Alcohol is a trigger for sure and I've cut out drinking altogether cuz it's just not worth the trigger event. Excessive hot and sweaty physical labor is a sure trigger and I live in a tropical environment so it's tough.I found an immune booster called Modicon that I take and that helps. Sleeping as much as possible at the onset and whenever you can helps shorten the outbreak. Excessive sun exposure for sure. If I forget to re-apply the sunscreen while working outside and get a sunburn it's a trigger also.

      I took note of your remedies and will try those as well. I see it's been a long time since you wrote this entry so not sure how this forum works as I just found it. I just am happy that I'm not crazy and knowing the doctors don't really have any grip on this is unsettling but at least it makes more sense in my situation. If you are still active on this forum thread I would love to hear any results of your research.

      ​Thanks !

       

    • Jubs_UK
      Jubs_UK kriirk

      Posted

      This is just an idea please don't get annoyed

      i have just had my first shingles outbreak two month ago....my PHN is also  recovering.

      my mother told me to just let the shingles come out and te its course....I got scared and took anti rials NOW...the blisters that fully  me out and oozed...I have no symptoms no nerve pains and those that didn't get chance to form those areas gave me intense nerve pain for weeks. Next time if I get it I won't take anything....I'll let my immune system fight it no build up immunity. I haven't read all the messages in this thread t

      just the one that I'm replying to.  I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to not take the acyclovir. If anyone has tried this I'd like to know the difference and if it actually made u more immune? I honestly don't know what to think. 

      I took lysine for the first time last night and woke up with my cold significantly reduced and my arthritis pain so I thank everyone on all these forums for recommending it.

      best of luck to you

    • jt1224
      jt1224 Jubs_UK

      Posted

      I have let the shingles run their course without any antivirals about half of the time....due to no scripts since I get them so much that I just don't have time to get to a doctor since the wait is usually a month to get in and I work two jjobs. I've built no immunity whatsoever. Make your life more comfortable and take the medssmile good luck!
  • sue18117
    sue18117 Guest

    Posted

    Try L-lysine cream &/or tablets. Stay away from arginine foods like nuts & for me coconut, coffee. Check internet for list.

    Good luck!

    S

  • carolyn56756
    carolyn56756 Guest

    Posted

    I have suffered many bouts of shingles just like most of you describe - on my bottom with pain down my leg or hip.   Please, I urge you all to try taking lysine, an amino acid which is completely natural.  You can buy it at any pharmacy and most superstores.  It prevents the shingles virus from replicating.  Google it and see.  For prevention take a 500-1000mg supplement everyday.  Or at the very least take 1000mg 2-3 times a day at the first signs of shingles coming and until it goes completely.  You will see it does help reduce symtpoms and recovery time.  Doctors cannot prescribe it because there has not been any proper testing, because it is a natural substance drug companies cannot patent it.  So nobody can get rich by testing it and marketing it.  When I did get a patch of shingles I would leave it as long as I could stand it and then get in a very hot bath and scrub the area with a soapy washcloth.  This is painful but at the same time a relief to scratch.  Sit in bath 15 mnutes and then repeat.  Dry off and apply rubbing alcohol.  Hurts like hell.  Keep dabbing with rubbing alcohol gently until weeping stops.  Do the same again the next day.  Then let scab over and do not touch.  This seems to stop itching, clear it up quickly and prevent scarring.  For me anyway!  :-)
  • lyndz77
    lyndz77 Guest

    Posted

    Hi all, well well well, this page is fantastic, I'm a staff nurse and have suffered with re occurring shingles on the back of my right thigh since I was 18months old, in the early years I had it annually and it was agony I missed a few years which was great. At around the age of 9 I went abroad with the family and had a massive flair up (apparently stress and anxiety as hate flying) the severity of he blisters in the heat were excruciating and Hosptials abroad agreed it was the Herpes virus, 

    I have it right now on the side of my right leg, on my back right thigh and on my face, like others have said don't have other illness' to be fair jus this burden, I work at a local Hosptial and when I can't go in due to this highly infectious virus thy think I'm lying, as most people have never heard of re occurring shingles (or they don't want to understand)

    • stop
      stop lyndz77

      Posted

      hello from california.

      i have had recurring shingles for several years as well.

      why why why is the medical community so unaware of

      this on-going malady?

      it is as painful as a severe burn.  it does not stop itching even if

      one does not scratch.

      i sympathize with your plight of not being believed.

      either no rash at all or a tiny small patch can wreak havok.

      if only the outward appearance were as dramatic as the pain,

      i guess we can only be grateful that episodes do not last longer than

      two weeks......a very very looooong two weeks.

      maybe you could refer some of your doubting co-workers to this site.

      it is certainly good to read of other people's realities with regard to

      shingles reoccurring.

       

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